Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb catéchiser

Get the imperfect (imparfait) tense conjugation of catéchiser. Includes a FREE downloadable reference sheet (no email required). Alternatively if you have a lot of text to check then use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!

The English translation of the French verb catéchiser is “to catechize” or “to teach the principles of the faith.” The infinitive form, catéchiser, is pronounced as “kah-teh-shee-zay.”

Catéchiser comes from the Latin word “catechizare,” which means “to instruct” or “to teach.” It is derived from the Greek word “katekhizein,” meaning “to teach orally.” In everyday French, catéchiser is commonly used in the imparfait tense to describe the action of teaching religious principles or doctrine.

Here are three examples of catéchiser in the imparfait tense:

  1. Chaque dimanche, le prêtre catéchisait les enfants du village. (Every Sunday, the priest used to catechize the children of the village.)
  2. Quand j’étais jeune, ma grand-mère me catéchisait à la maison. (When I was young, my grandmother used to catechize me at home.)
  3. Les catéchistes nous catéchisaient sur les sacrements de l’Église. (The catechists used to catechize us about the sacraments of the Church.)

English translations:

  1. Every Sunday, the priest used to catechize the children of the village.
  2. When I was young, my grandmother used to catechize me at home.
  3. The catechists used to catechize us about the sacraments of the Church.

Table of the Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of catéchiser

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je catéchisais Je catéchisais les enfants. I was catechizing the children.
tu catéchisais Tu catéchisais tes élèves. You were catechizing your students.
il catéchisait Il catéchisait le groupe. He was catechizing the group.
elle catéchisait Elle catéchisait les adultes. She was catechizing the adults.
on catéchisait On catéchisait tous les dimanches. We were catechizing every Sunday.
nous catéchisions Nous catéchisions les nouveaux membres. We were catechizing the new members.
vous catéchisiez Vous catéchisiez les familles. You were catechizing the families.
ils catéchisaient Ils catéchisaient les enfants du village. They were catechizing the children in the village.
elles catéchisaient Elles catéchisaient les jeunes filles. They were catechizing the young girls.

Other Conjugations for Catéchiser.

Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser (You’re reading it right now!)

Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

Conditionnel Passé II (Conditional Past II) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

L’impératif Passé (Imperative Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

L’infinitif Passé (Infinitive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

Le Participe Présent (Present Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

Le Participe Passé (Past Participle) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb catéchiser

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Catéchiser – About the French Imparfait Tense

The French imparfait tense, often called the imperfect tense in English, is used to describe actions or states in the past. It’s primarily used to provide background information, set the scene, or describe habitual or ongoing actions in the past.

NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see our article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Formation of the Imparfait Tense

To form the imparfait tense in French, you typically take the present tense nous form of the verb, drop the -ons ending, and add specific endings based on the verb group (regular -er, -ir, -re verbs) or use irregular forms for certain verbs.  

For regular -er verbs:

Take the infinitive form (e.g., parler, finir, rendre) Remove the -er ending Add the imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient 

For regular -ir verbs

Take the infinitive form (e.g., choisir, grandir, finir) Remove the -ir ending Add the imparfait endings: -issais, -issais, -issait, -issions, -issiez, -issaient 

For regular -re verbs

Take the infinitive form (e.g., vendre, attendre, entendre) Remove the -re ending Add the imparfait endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient

Common Everyday Usage Patterns

Description of Past Habits

The imparfait is often used to describe habitual actions or situations in the past. For example: “Quand j’étais enfant, je jouais au football tous les jours.” (When I was a child, I used to play football every day.) 

Background Information

It’s used to provide background information or set the stage for a main event in the past. For instance: “Il faisait beau ce jour-là.” (The weather was nice that day.) 

Mental and Emotional States

It’s employed to express emotions, thoughts, or physical sensations in the past. For example: “J’étais content quand il est arrivé.” (I was happy when he arrived.) 

Ongoing Actions

The imparfait describes actions that were in progress or happening when something else occurred in the past. For instance: “Je lisais un livre quand le téléphone a sonné.” (I was reading a book when the phone rang.)

Points to Note About the Imparfait Tense

Passé Composé vs. Imparfait

The imparfait and passé composé (a compound past tense) are often used together to express the completion of an action in the past (passé composé) and provide context or background (imparfait). For example: “Il regardait la télévision quand son ami est arrivé.” (He was watching TV when his friend arrived.) 

Conditional

The imparfait is used as the base for forming the conditional mood in French. For instance, “Je mangerais” (I would eat) is formed from “je mangeais” (I was eating). 

Si Clauses

In hypothetical or “if” clauses (si clauses), the imparfait is often used to express a condition in the past. For example: “Si j’avais de l’argent, j’achèterais une nouvelle voiture.” (If I had money, I would buy a new car.) 

Narration

In storytelling or writing, the imparfait is frequently used to set the scene and describe ongoing actions while the passé composé is used for specific events or actions that interrupted the ongoing ones.
Understanding the French imperfect tense is crucial for effective communication in French. Without it, your conversations will always live in the present!

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb catéchiser. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb imparfait conjugation!

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